Friday 21 August 2009

Is my homeland now part of the Axis of Evil?

As always, peerless Will has the best words:
... Alas, poor country!
Almost afraid to know itself.
Following the release of convicted Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi (2), internet campaigns has been launched to boycott Scotland, because of its craven appeasement of terrorists. This is raises some important issues.
  • First, will Scotland be given official recognition as part of the 'Axis of Evil'? Surely, we have earned that distinction.
  • Second, will I be able to claim refugee status in New Zealand, because of the nature of the regime that reigns in my homeland?
More seriously, I've never been convinced of al-Megrahi's guilt. On the one hand, the case against him was dubious. On the other, for reasons of parochial pride, I like to think Scottish justice would have found out the truth. Probably, it was at best a case where 'Not Proven' would have been an appropriate verdict. But I suspect that was never, ever going to be possible, given the circumstances of his trial.

I suspect the real reason he has been allowed to go home to die was to stop his appeal and to negate the embarrassment of him dying in Scotland, with big question marks remaining over his guilt.
1 - Macbeth, by William Shaespeare, Act iV, Scene iii, 188-9. (http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/macbeth_4_3.html)
2 - "Anger at Lockerbie bomber welcome," unattributed BBC article, published 21st of August, 2009. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8213352.stm)

3 comments:

jasonbradyut said...

What, a…are we now giving out FREE Lunches? Since when??? Hey, I’m sorry for his cancer, but one never knows truly how much longer they can live…his last death wish may even be to do another “killing of Americans” deed. These people don’t care, but only to KILL America. They hate us…

Pollyanna_H said...

If everybody who hated all citizens from another country should be locked up, large proportions of many countries would have to be reconstituted as prisons. How many Americans would be out of jail?

Paul said...

A lot of Americans are in jail, as it is. Incarcerating people is what makes America great. If everyone who is, or might be, or could become an enemy of America were jailed, then America will be greater still. And that's good for Democracy and Freedom.

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